Biggest game of the season (with the entire season on the line) - lowest turnout by our support (by some considerable distance)

Only in Wigan.

For a game on a day no one expected us to play on. 6 days notice to get off work or cancel plans etc etc. People have their reasons for not going.

So we can expect the same house turnout at the GF if we win next week? After all it will only be 7 days notice.

... and Warrington apparently.

So even though I couldn't make last night, when ive been to 90% of the other home games this year, I shouldn't go to the gf?

I didn’t see the article but rugby league attendances are healthy and so is the interest in the game. There’s more rugby league programmes on sky that rugby union ones am I right?

I’ve been the only person in the crowd at a mates gig before. That’s when rugby league ought to start worrying about attendances. Not now whilst thousands watch the game every week when its on!

They obviously knew what was going to happen.

Attendances are down on last year.
IIRC, only three clubs have increased this year: ourselves, Hull & Wire.

And where did I say or even imply that?

About 4,000 (or one third) of our basic core support didn't bother last night, which given the game is shocking.

But surely a fair portion of those people would have already had plans on for that match, and another portion which could stump up the money for an extra unexpected match.

You said should we expect the same turnout at the GF next week, when we're talking about the topic of a low attendance at the game on Friday, is that not implying that if someone didn't go to that then they weren't going to go the gf?

Im not denying its a low attendance, but there's reasons for it. Wire's game had an even lower attendance, probably for similar reasons, except surely that match for them would be more expected as they weren't gonna beat Saints.

Given we finished in the top two we were always going to play two home games in the play-off, so playing last night shouldn't have been that much of a shock that a third suddenly couldn't make it.



NO I didn't say we should expect the same attendance - entirely the opposite, hence my point. You gave an excuse that because of only a 6 day turnaround that in some way explains our poor support last night. That same excuse won't be a problem suddenly next week if we win to get the to GF. Sounds to me because you couldn't/wouldn't go you've taken my post somewhat personally.



The reasons being we have an extremely fickle support and thousands of people will bizarrely spend hundreds of pounds to watch the team all year then when the most important games come up don't seem to bother.

wire's support yesterday was embarrassing! 8k lowest this season.

Hull, Wire and Wigan are clubs that are on the rise and the rise is always the most exciting part of watching rugby league. Hence the rise in attendances.

Leeds Rhinos on the other hand have had a steady decline in attendances year after year despite our league leaders success last year and the Old Trafford successes in the last three years.

It’ll be interesting to see the Wigan attendances during your glory days in the late eighties/early nineties when you went on that incredible run!

It's always difficult come play-off time. We have a 200 mile round trip to watch the boys, and we both work so making arrangements with only a few days notice is tricky. We pay our Sky subscription for the luxury of not missing the games we cant get to. The Grand Final, of course, has been planned and the date/venue wont change with only a few days notice so hopefully we'll be going to that.

It's not though is it?
Why make out were different to any other club when were not?

Warrington 3000+ down on their equivalent fixture in the League Vs Hudds
Wigan just over 1k down on their equivalent fixture Vs HKR

Plus many examples from many other Play off games?

So it appears it's not only in Wigan?

Because as I've already pointed out around a third (or 4,000) of our core support went missing on Friday. For the best supported club that's shocking.

Is it any different to Wire/Hull/Saints etc when ity comes to Play off games?

If not then I say it isn't shocking, is as per the norm for the competition.
If your saying that ALL clubs attendances for the play offs are shocking then fair enough, but Wigan's isn't in comaprison/% etc.

Makes no difference wether we are the best supported club in the land, if the figures drop pro rata the same as other clubs then we aren't shocking.

I've no idea how it compares to other teams, however we aren't other teams. I've lost count of the number of people who big up our support, then when the going got a bit tough last week a substantial proportion went missing.

But almost all fans, in all sports, pick and choose their games; why should we be any different? Playoff games, like CC games, are always relatively poorly attended. Even ST holders sometimes miss league games, the difference there being that they still count as part of the attendance even if they don't go.

double post

They do - however not sure if they count or not on the official attendance if they don't show up - I'm sure Leyther Matt will tell us. However my point is that for the biggest game of the season you'd expect people who go all year to carry on? We even dropped about 3,000 supporter from the Whinos to the Hull KR game in 5 days - which was arguably a much bigger game as our season was on the line.

Nah sorry, I don't get that criticism. Its the same with all pay on the day cup / playoff matches and not exclusive to rugby league (FA Cup soccer). Crowds go down in these matches across the board and its understandable that such an effect is greater when many are strapped for cash.

Ideally, something would be done by the RFL to ensure future playoff games aren't affected in the same way but I can understand the point made by Nigel Wood about being reluctant to devalue the product.

I agree there is a real problem generally with play-off crowds, but we lost about 3,000 Wigan fans in 5 days last week, for a much bigger game.

Who said it was a bigger game?? You could argue more important but certainly not bigger. plus it was an EXTRA game that most fans would not have allowed/planned for!

The simple fact is cup and play-off games until the final will not be well supported due to the extra cost incurred, sad but true and certainly not a wigan problem.